Travel Tips for Albania: 11 Actually Useful Things to Know

Having shot to Instagram fame very recently, Albania is starting to lose its negative stereotyping (no thanks to the film ‘Taken’), and now is synonymous with mountains, beaches, and friendly folk.

Out of the seven Balkan countries we travelled, Albania sits firmly at the top spot: the nature, the UNESCO sites, the adventure, the hiking.

We spent six weeks independently travelling the country in 2022 by public transport, and have pulled together all the must-know bits and pieces for these actually useful travel tips for Albania.

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1. Albanian Public Transport is Not Scary (despite other traveller’s reviews)

Albania uses the infamous furgon (or minivan). There’s no aircon, you’ll be squeezed in with too many other people, timetables are difficult to come by, and the driving is pretty wild.

BUT, road conditions are generally good, it’s super affordable and quick, and it is THE authentic Albanian experience. You might even get chatting to locals who can give you recommendations about their country!

Uber does not operate in Albania and there are no trains. You will find some larger coach buses that run longer distance intercity routes. Hitchhiking is also possible.

2. Albania Has a Closed Currency

Albania’s currency is Lek (or Leke in plural), and the code is ALL. It is a closed currency, meaning that you cannot get your Leke before you travel to Albania. But, getting currency before you travel is a really outdated unnecessary practice for the vast majority of countries anyway.

What it does mean is that you will need to exchange any leftover currency before you leave the country, because you won’t be able to get rid of it otherwise.

You’ll easily be able to exchange USD or EUR if you really want, but the best way to get your Leke is just to get yourself a card with great rates and use the ATMs in Albania.

3. There is an ATM with Free Cash Withdrawals

Albania is still very much a cash society, but you’ll be able to use card for some larger establishments.

The best ATM for foreign cards with ZERO withdrawal fees is CredIns. It’s the blue and yellow ATM.

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4. Albanian Vegetarian Food is Surprisingly Tasty

Albanian food is tasty, even their vegetarian dishes! We gave it s 5/10 of the vegetarian friendliness scale, which (for a Balkan country) is an incredible rating. The rest of the Balkans is very much all about heavy meaty dishes, but Albania has a good amount of tasty veg options!

Expect a lot of Mediterranean-style tomato, aubergine, courgette, breads, cheeses. In the cities you’ll find restaurants serving different cuisines too like Indian and Chinese.

Up in the mountains or in more remote spots, you’ll have to work a little harder to get vegetarian food, but it’s definitely doable.

Must try food: Fërgesë – roasted vegetable and cheese dip, Qifqi – deep-fried herby rice balls

Must try drink: Korça beer, Tirana beer, Elbar beer, Rakia

Coffee Country or Tea Town: Coffee – thick and dark Turkish-style coffee

Find all the tastiest Albanian food that is naturally vegetarian in this guide.

a plate of a selection of Albania's best vegetarian slow food

5. Tipping Isn’t Really a Thing

Tipping isn’t expected or requested, but equally isn’t seen as offensive if you do wish to tip.

6. Albania’s Recent History is Dark

Albania has a dark yet intriguing history. The Albanian people were subjected to a brutal, harsh communist and ’Stalinist’ dictatorship for nearly 50 years, led by Enver Hoxha. The dictatorship falling in 1991 ended the isolation of this once-pariah state.

For a mere thirty years, Albanians have been able to do what many deem everyday things: drive cars, eat bananas, drink Coca Cola. To learn about the country’s history, head over to Tirana for the best museums: Bunk’ Art and House of Leaves.

Symbols of this period of time are being redecorated or repurposed. The area where the communist elite used to live in Tirana has been decorated in colourful street art, the ‘pyramid’ which was essentially a shrine has now been converted into a community space, bunkers around the country have been decorated.

The time of oppression only ended 30-odd years ago, which means that many people in Albania today were directly affected by Hoxha, but discussing politics and history is not a taboo subject.

red velvet chairs face towards a stage in the underground bunker where Bunk' Art 1 museum is now housed.
A glimpse in to Hoxha’s underground bunker at Bunk’ Art 1

7. Albanian Language is Unique

The Albanian language is like nothing I have heard/seen before. Don’t expect it to have any Roman or Slavic language similarities: it has none. In the major cities and places that cater to tourists, English is widely spoken.

Here are a couple of Albanian words to learn:

Hello: Përshëndetje

Thanks: Faleminderit

Cheers: Gёzuar

Bye: Mirupafshim

8. Albanians don’t call Albania, ‘Albania’

And it’s not even close in sound or spelling to the word ‘Albania’! The local name of the country is Shqipëria.

9. The Best Tourist SIM Provider

Get yourself a local SIM card if you don’t already have an esim. We got a SIM with Vodafone AL and the coverage was good.

10. Highlights of a Trip to Albania

Definitely try to incorporate these into your Albania itinerary:

  • Hike from Valbona to Theth in the Accursed Mountains
  • Visit the Bunk’ Art museums and quirky cafes of Tirana
  • Explore Berat UNESCO town and castle
  • Eat fërgesë
  • Grab a coffee with a view in UNESCO-listed Gjirokaster
  • Take a ride in a furgon!
  • Cycle around Shkoder Lake and see the views from Rozafa Castle
  • Taste a Korca beer straight from the source
Gjirokaster Old Town
views over a meandering river and a mountain backdrop
Views from Rozafa Castle in Shkoder

11. The Beaches Are Disappointing

Ok, now let me caveat this. The water is crystal clear. It’s warm enough for comfortable bathing. And the sand is fine and white.

BUT, they have become too famous and the crowds are insane during the summer.

Sun loungers are all crammed next to each other on every inch of available sand, there is a load of plastic gimmicky crap in the water (pedalos, obstacle courses, boats), the music will be banging.

In the summer, it does NOT look like the pristine and idyllic photos you see on Instagram.

In a Nutshell

Overall, Albania is a fascinating country with a little bit of everything for everyone: mountains, lakes, gritty cities, street art, plenty of history, great food and coffee. And definitely definitely definitely head up to the Accursed Mountains; it’s the prettiest area in Albania (and maybe the Balkans?).

Think a trip to Albania sounds like a fun adventure?

Take a look at all our Albania blog posts to help you plan your trip.

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